The Agas Map of London — Tudor London Before the Great Fire

The Agas Map of London, often known as Civitas Londinum, is one of those old maps that rewards a slow look. At first it seems simply decorative — a handsome view of London spread out along the Thames — but the longer you study it, the more it begins to feel like a window into another city altogether.

This is London before the Great Fire of 1666. Before the familiar modern street plan. Before so much of the city was rebuilt and reshaped. St Paul’s Cathedral still rises above the rooftops with its old spire, London Bridge is packed with buildings, and the Thames is alive with boats. Around the edges of the city there are fields, gardens, lanes and open ground — reminders that Tudor London was still a much smaller place than the capital we know today.

Although the map has long been called the Agas Map, after the surveyor Ralph Agas, that attribution is now generally treated with caution. The name has stuck, though, and for many people the “Agas Map of London” remains the familiar way to describe this remarkable sixteenth-century view. It is also known as the Woodcut Map of London, a reference to the way the original image was produced.

What makes the map so appealing is its mixture of detail and character. It is not just a street map, and not quite a bird’s-eye view either. It sits somewhere between the two: part record, part panorama, part portrait of the city. The Tower of London, Westminster, Southwark, the city walls and the busy river all have their place, but so do smaller details that give the whole thing life.

As a piece of wall art, the Agas Map has a particular strength. Its long, panoramic shape gives it real presence without feeling loud or modern. It suits a city home or apartment beautifully, especially where the aim is to add history, texture and quiet interest rather than just decoration. It has been a popular choice with London-based interior designers, and has also been bought by London tour guides and others with a close working knowledge of the city.

The Old Map Company has digitally edited a scan from the original to create a fine art print with renewed clarity and balance. The intention is not to over-restore it or make it look newly made, but to bring back the strength of the image so that it can be enjoyed as both a historic map and a striking decorative piece — comparable in spirit to the day it was drawn.

For anyone interested in old maps of London, Tudor history, architecture or the story of the capital, the Agas Map remains one of the great images of the city. It is beautiful, informative and full of atmosphere — a statement piece, certainly, but also a map that keeps inviting you back for another look.